Emergence of Nation-States
European monarchies consolidated their power and began forming nation-states in the late medieval period.
England
· William the Conqueror, leader of the Norman Conquest, united most of England.
· Common law had its beginnings during the reign of Henry II.
· King John signed the Magna Carta, limiting the king’s power.
· The Hundred Years’ War between England and France helped define England as a nation.
· Evolution of Parliament.
France
· Hugh Capet established the French throne in Paris, and his dynasty gradually expanded their control over most of France.
· The Hundred Years’ War between England and France helped define France as a nation.
· Joan of Arc was a unifying factor.
Spain
· Ferdinand and Isabella unified the country and expelled Jews and Moors.
· Spanish Empire in the Western Hemisphere expanded underCharles V.
Russia
· Ivan the Great threw off the rule of the Mongols, centralized power in Moscow, and expanded the Russian nation.
· Power was centralized in the hands of the tsar.
· The Orthodox Church influenced unification.
England
· William the Conqueror, leader of the Norman Conquest, united most of England.
· Common law had its beginnings during the reign of Henry II.
· King John signed the Magna Carta, limiting the king’s power.
· The Hundred Years’ War between England and France helped define England as a nation.
· Evolution of Parliament.
France
· Hugh Capet established the French throne in Paris, and his dynasty gradually expanded their control over most of France.
· The Hundred Years’ War between England and France helped define France as a nation.
· Joan of Arc was a unifying factor.
Spain
· Ferdinand and Isabella unified the country and expelled Jews and Moors.
· Spanish Empire in the Western Hemisphere expanded underCharles V.
Russia
· Ivan the Great threw off the rule of the Mongols, centralized power in Moscow, and expanded the Russian nation.
· Power was centralized in the hands of the tsar.
· The Orthodox Church influenced unification.
The Crusades
Crusades were carried out by Christian political and religious leaders to take control of the Holy Land from the Muslims.
Mongol armies invaded Russia, Southwest Asia, and China, creating an empire.
Ottoman Turks conquered the Byzantine Empire.
Key events of the Crusades
· Pope Urban’s speech
· The capture of Jerusalem
· Founding of Crusader states
· Loss of Jerusalem to Saladin
· Sack of Constantinople by western Crusaders
Effects of the Crusades
· Weakened the Pope and nobles; strengthened monarchs
· Stimulated trade throughout the Mediterranean area and the Middle East
· Left a legacy of bitterness among Christians, Jews, and Muslims
· Weakened the Byzantine Empire
Mongol armies
· Invaded Russia, China, and Muslim states in Southwest Asia, destroying cities and countryside
· Created an empire
Constantinople
· Fell to the Ottoman Turks in 1453, ending the Byzantine Empire
· Became capital of the Ottoman Empire
Mongol armies invaded Russia, Southwest Asia, and China, creating an empire.
Ottoman Turks conquered the Byzantine Empire.
Key events of the Crusades
· Pope Urban’s speech
· The capture of Jerusalem
· Founding of Crusader states
· Loss of Jerusalem to Saladin
· Sack of Constantinople by western Crusaders
Effects of the Crusades
· Weakened the Pope and nobles; strengthened monarchs
· Stimulated trade throughout the Mediterranean area and the Middle East
· Left a legacy of bitterness among Christians, Jews, and Muslims
· Weakened the Byzantine Empire
Mongol armies
· Invaded Russia, China, and Muslim states in Southwest Asia, destroying cities and countryside
· Created an empire
Constantinople
· Fell to the Ottoman Turks in 1453, ending the Byzantine Empire
· Became capital of the Ottoman Empire
The Black Death
Impact of the Black Death (Bubonic plague)
· Decline in population
· Scarcity of labor
· Towns freed from feudal obligations
· Decline of Church influence
· Disruption of trade
· Decline in population
· Scarcity of labor
· Towns freed from feudal obligations
· Decline of Church influence
· Disruption of trade
Education and the Clergy
Education was largely confined to the clergy during the Middle Ages. The masses were uneducated, while the nobility was concerned with feudal obligations. Church scholars preserved ancient literature in monasteries in the East and West.
Church scholars
· Were among the very few who could read and write
· Worked in monasteries
· Translated Greek and Arabic works into Latin
· Made new knowledge in philosophy, medicine, and science available in Europe
· Laid the foundations for the rise of universities in Europe
Church scholars
· Were among the very few who could read and write
· Worked in monasteries
· Translated Greek and Arabic works into Latin
· Made new knowledge in philosophy, medicine, and science available in Europe
· Laid the foundations for the rise of universities in Europe